New Tools for Android Game Developers

New Tools for Android Game Developers

A new set of tools for gaming applications was introduced this week during Google’s Developer Day at the Game Developers Conference (GDC). They will help developers understand their users, increase in-app purchases, and target advertising.

Analyze This

Knowing what users do in your application is incredibly important in optimization. Player Analytics will give you a better understanding of user behavior. Get reports on how your users are progressing through the game as well as determine their in-app purchasing habits. The update will help developers set revenue targets, and learn where tweaks can be made in order to hit them. Player Analytics will be available in the Google Play Developer Console sometime in the upcoming weeks.

Money, Money, Money

Monetization is the key to success for many mobile games. AdMob already has smart tools to help you advertise, and they’ve just released 3 more: House Ads, Native Ads, and Audience Builder.

Now AdMob can predict which users are more likely to use in-app purchases. House Ads will allow developers to show targeted text and display ads to these groups. Since .15% of mobile gamers bring in 50% of the revenue, being able to targets where there is likely a higher percentage of “whales” can greatly increase profit.

Audience Builder is a tool that will allow developers to customize user experiences in order to optimize in-app purchases. Users can be categorized into groups based on their habits. Paths can then be created and customized for each user type. Doing so will provide the user a more personalized experience, which is expected to grow revenue.

Gamers hate having their gameplay interrupted. While it won’t take away the interruption that comes with ads, Google is beta testing a way to lessen it. The Native Ads update will incorporate ads more seamlessly into the application. Developers can customize Google ads to match the design of their game, creating a better user experience.

Android TV

The problem of not having enough controllers for all of your friends will cease to be a worry. That is, as long as your friends are Android users. With the implementation of the Nearby Connections API, users can connect their Android devices to an Android TV and use them as controllers. Depending on the game and UI, using your device may give you an edge over your competition.